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Florida's August 18 primary delivered a turbulent night for conservatives — from the streets of Miami-Dade to the statewide races that will define November's general election. The results expose fault lines in Republican unity, signal a hard-left lurch in the Democratic Party, and raise serious questions about who is actually ready to compete in the fall.
DOJ Sends Monitors to Miami-Dade Polls
Before a single vote was counted, the Justice Department announced it was deploying four Civil Rights Division attorneys to monitor polling sites in Miami-Dade County, citing federal voting-rights compliance, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The move added a charged atmosphere to an already high-stakes primary night in South Florida.
District 25: Moskowitz Crushes — Singer Wins Weak GOP Field
In Florida's 25th Congressional District — spanning the coast from Miami-Dade up to Palm Beach County — Democrat Jared Moskowitz won his primary with a dominant 63.5% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. On the Republican side, Scott Singer emerged from a crowded five-candidate field with just 31.3%, a narrow and unimpressive showing heading into a November matchup against the well-funded Moskowitz. The lopsided Democratic result versus the fractured GOP field signals trouble for conservative prospects in that district come fall.
District 27: Salazar Holds — But Democrats Pick a Fighter
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar cruised to re-nomination in District 27 — covering Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, and Kendall — with 81.3% of the Republican primary vote, according to AP. Democrats selected Eliott Rodriguez as her November opponent. Salazar enters the general as the favorite in a seat she has held since 2020, but the competitive primary environment statewide means nothing is guaranteed in a year when incumbents are falling.
District 24: Open Seat, Democrats Only
In District 24 — covering Miami Gardens, North Miami, and Opa-Locka — Republican Te Mayonna Brown ran unopposed and heads straight to the general election. Democrats held a competitive primary, with Oliver G. Gilbert III leading, endorsed by retiring Rep. Frederica Wilson. The district is heavily Democratic and will almost certainly remain so in November.
Cory Mills: The Biggest Conservative Casualty of the Night
Rep. Cory Mills became one of the most high-profile Republican casualties of this primary cycle, losing Florida's 7th Congressional District to former TV journalist Ryan Elijah 46% to 34%. Mills faced simultaneous House Ethics Committee and Justice Department investigations into sexual misconduct allegations and campaign finance violations — and couldn't survive the scandal load even with President Trump's endorsement. Mills is now among just a handful of Republicans to lose a primary with Trump's backing this cycle, making him the 11th House member to fall in a primary nationally, according to NBC News.
Donalds Wins Governor — But Skips Thanking Trump
Rep. Byron Donalds won the Republican gubernatorial primary with 48% of the vote, defeating Lt. Gov. Jay Collins (25%), populist firebrand James Fishback (10%), and former House Speaker Paul Renner (10%), with 92% of precincts reporting. He will face Democrat David Jolly in November to replace term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. In his victory speech, Donalds praised DeSantis — who conspicuously did not endorse him — while making no mention of President Trump, who did endorse him. The omission was glaring for a candidate running in a state Trump carried by 13 points two years ago, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Nationalist Challenger Fishback Fizzles
James Fishback, the populist nationalist who drew attention this summer by confronting Donalds at a campaign event through a megaphone and calling him "a slave," collapsed to just 10% on primary night despite claiming 85% of young conservative voters supported him. His campaign spent a fraction of what Donalds raised but generated outsized media noise — and a reality check that grassroots enthusiasm does not automatically translate into votes.
A Democratic Socialist Is Now on the November Ballot
Perhaps the most alarming result of the night for conservatives statewide: Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, a self-described democratic socialist, defeated moderate Democrat and former Lt. Col. Alex Vindman in an upset to win the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination. Nixon becomes the first Black woman to win a major party nomination for U.S. Senate in Florida. She will face incumbent Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November. Trump carried Florida by 13 points in 2024, making Moody the heavy favorite — but having an avowed socialist on the ballot sharpens the contrast Republicans will campaign on, and a single bad cycle could make it competitive, according to the Associated Press.
What It Means for Miami — and Florida
South Florida conservatives enter November with a mixed hand: Salazar is well-positioned in District 27, but District 25 features a fractured Republican field against a strong Democrat. Statewide, the governor's race and Senate race will define the narrative — and with a democratic socialist now on the November Senate ballot, an embattled incumbent ousted in a scandal-drenched congressional race, and a GOP gubernatorial winner who didn't thank his endorser, the road ahead for Florida Republicans is bumpier than they had hoped.
